“Shit. That wasnotJenny McAllister’s jump rope. What the hell? My arms feel like noodles.” He winced as he tried to make a muscle. “Ow. Damn, man, are you trying to kill me?”
“Poor baby.” Leo ran his hands over Morgan’s arms, massaging them. “If you’re nice, I’ll take you back to my place tonight and give you a full-body rubdown.”
“That sounds amazing. I guess I’ll have to try and be good.”
When Morgan slipped his arms around his waist, contentment poured warm and sweet through Leo. “I don’t mind you a little bad. Come on, slacker.” Leo pinched his ass, laughing as Morgan yelped. “Let’s put the gloves on, and I’ll teach you some basic moves.”
He led Morgan to the bench, where he wrapped his hands, then slipped the gloves on. “I’ll use regular lace-ups so you get used to them, and if you think you might get into boxing, we can get you Velcro pulls so you can put them on yourself.”
“I doubt I’ll ever be doing this without you.” Morgan held up his hands. “I can’t believe I’m here as it is.”
“Why?” Leo bristled. “Too low-class?”
“Will you cut it out? For the last time, I’m not a snob. But I’ve never been into violence. Hitting never solved anything.”
“Boxing isn’t about violence and hurting your opponent. It’s an art form. It’ll teach you to stay light on your feet, protect yourself, and anticipate your opponent’s next move. Now let’s go to the bag.”
They made their way to the hanging bag Peter had installed. “This is where we’ll start so you can get used to the feel of the gloves and hitting something.”
“You mean you’re not going to punch me tonight?”
He worked his jaw. “I don’t hit people.”
Morgan touched his arm. “I’m sorry. I was only kidding.”
“It’s not funny to talk about shit like that. Are you ready?”
“Yeah, but—”
Ignoring Morgan, Leo stood before him, hands held out. “There are different types of punches in boxing: the jab, the cross, the uppercut, and the hook. Some trainers divide them into lead hook, rear hook, left uppercut, and rear uppercut, but we’ll get into that later. There are other punches we’ll get into if you decide to continue. Let’s start with the jab.”
He demonstrated the quick, sharp punches into the bag and stepped away to give Morgan room. “Your turn. Take the stance, protect your face with your left hand, keep your elbow up, and punch with the right. That’s it. Good.”
Steely faced, his concentration solely on the bag, Morgan showed surprisingly good form for a total beginner. He didn’t even wait for Leo to tell him to switch hands, making the move himself. After several minutes, panting and red in the face, he moved away from the swinging bag.
“How…was…that?” he gasped.
Leo held a water bottle to his lips. “First drink this.” He tipped the bottle, and Morgan drank greedily. “Okay?”
“Yeah.” Morgan coughed and wheezed and straightened up with a big smile. “I did it. I thought I’d hurt my hands, but they feel okay.”
“Let’s take them out of the gloves before you make a prediction. Trust me, they’re going to feel sore.” Leo knew from experience that once the pressure from the glove was released, a boxer’s hands would hurt like a bitch. He unlaced the gloves and slid them off Morgan’s hands.
“Oh, damn. Ow.” Morgan flexed his fingers and shook out his hands. “That does hurt, you were right.”
“It happens occasionally.” Leo took one of Morgan’s hands between his and rubbed it hard, then the other. “You did great, though. How’re your shoulders?”
Morgan rolled them and winced. “I have a feeling every part of my body is going to ache like crazy tomorrow.”
“That offer for a full-body massage still stands.” Leo draped his arms over Morgan’s shoulders, locking him in close. “It’s not something I offer to just anyone.”
“I would hope not.” Morgan leaned in and kissed him. “I’m not just anyone.”
Leo gathered him closer. “Is that so?”
“Yeah, it is.” Green eyes sparking fire, Morgan nuzzled into his neck. “And remember what you said earlier?”
“I said a lot of things,” Leo growled, wondering if they could both fit in Peter’s shower. He was hard as a rock and wanted Morgan. Now.
